Lock



Patented 13, 1942 George Hofmann, Boston, Mass., American Locker Company, Inc., Bolton,

a corporation of Delaware in Hill,

Application June 21, 1940, Serial No. 341.111

(ci. '1o-+395) y 3 Claims. 'rms invention relates to locks of the type emyplcying a plurality of locking tumblers normally held in locking position and adapted to be forced to the released position by the insertion of a key having a corresponding number of lands of a height to perform the releasing operation. In these locks heretofore known the tumblers have ordinarily been arranged in alignment or parallel with each other'which uniform arrangement `facilitates unauthorized picking or tampering withthe lock, as by vibrating the lock in a definite direction to move the tumblers to the released position. In accordance with my invention I provide a lock having two independent sets of tumblers in which one set is arranged relatively angular to the other set, one set exsupporting the lock, this member having a laterally extending portion il fitting within a corresponding recess in the structure Il and preventing rotation of the t about the axis of the bore iL A plurality o plungers or tumblers Il are mounted in bores in the portion it. and springs 2l normally force the plungers to the locking position within the inner member i4.

y The outer ends of these bores are' closed by a tending radially of the lock and the other set extending longitudinally thereof. Zitv will be .readily apparent that such arrangement forestalls the above-named objection and renders my improved lock substantially pick-proof and in addition thereto provides for a greatly increased number of possible combinations. One object of my invention resides in the provision of an improved lock of this nature.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a. lock employing a novel key which cannot be duplicated by any key duplicating machines known or in use, whereby largely eliminating present key-duplicating troubles.

'I'he production of such an improved key for l cooperating with my new lock comprises a further object of the invention.

'I'hese and other features of the invention will be best understood' and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a rear end view of my improved lock nonrotatably mounted in a supporting structure.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and showing the key in the lock, U

Fig. 5 is alikeview taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

Figs. 6 and 'l are cross sectional views taken on lines 6-4 and I-l of Fig. 4,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of `the barrel portion of the key.

My improved lock embodies an outer member il having a bore i2 therethrough and within which is rotatably mounted an inner member I4. The outer member is the xed unit and is plate 22 and releasing pins 24 cooperate with the plungers, all of which is well-known construction.

The inner member I4 is slotted at to receive the forward Ya1e" key portion 28 of a key 30 having its forward edge 32 notched to provide lands for cooperating with the pins 24. A collar I4 is securely aiilxed to the inner member. as by sweating it thereon. In the construction illustrated, this collar is slotted along with the inner member at 26. In some cases the construction of the lockA may be facilitated by slotting only the inner member at 26 and lthereafter applying the collarwlthout slotting it and in such cases the use of an independent piece at 34 is particularly desirable.

The member i 4 is inserted into the bore i2 to a position bringing the forward face of the collar 34 into endengagement Vwith the outer face of' the member i0. The parts are held in this position by screws extending through two locking plates 3l and 4I and threaded into the member i4. 'Ihe plate il overlaps the inner end ofthe member Il and is cut away at 42 to accommodate a stop pin 44 carried by the member i0. The shoulders at the ends of the recess 42 together with the pin 44 provide stops limiting the i rotationvof the inner member I4. A washer 46 is secured by pins to the inner end of the member II and is notched at 50 to permit passage of the key when inserting it into the lock. The

rear edge of the key is notched at 52 to provide A clearance for the washer when the key is rotated. This engagement oi' the key with the washer prevents withdrawal of the key when rotated from its inserting position in which position the tumblers il are in alignment with the releasing pins 2l.

The outer member ill is bored inwardly from its front face about and parallel with the bore I2 to receive a plurality of locking plungers 54 normally forced forward by springs 56, and a .plurality of corresponding bores having pinsV 58 therein are provided in the collar 34, the two sets of bores being respectively in alignment mounted non-rotatably within the structure I8 55 when the lock is in the locked and key inserting position. The springs normally force the plungers 54 to the locking position in which the plungers 54 extend into the collar 34 and the pins 58 abut against a flange 60 which serves as a stop for the pins. This flange is integral with a cap-like member 62 enclosing the collar and pinned thereto at 6I.

The key 30 comprises the portion 28 for re leasing the tumblers I8, a finger-gripping portion indicated at 30, and a barrel portion 86 for releasing the tumblers Il. 'I'he barrel 86 is slotted at 68 to receive the portions 2l and 30 and these parts are secured together by pins 'I0 or in any other suitable manner, such as welding at 1l. The forward end of the barrel is adapted to t over the inner member Il and has recesses 12 of different depths on its forward end for receiving the pins 58. Pressure of the key against the pins 58 forces the pins rearwardly and the plungers il to the flush position shown in Fig. 5. A boss 'I4 projects outwardly from the key and the flange 60 is recessed at 'I8 in alignment with the slot 26 in the collar 3l for receiving this boss, and the parts are so arranged that the tumblers I8 and the tumblers 54 are forced to the flush and released position when this boss is engaged against the collar 34 as illustrated in Fig. 4.

My improved lock is applicable to various uses as will be readily apparent. The locking bolt can be applied at either end of the lock and in various positions, as indicated for example 'in broken lines at 11, 18, and 19. The two sets of tumblers are independent one of the other and are in different planes and relatively angular. whereby rendering the lock extremely difficult to unauthorized manipulation by vibrating or any other method or means. Furthermore, the key is a radical departure from present known keys and far more diillcult to produce or duplicate. The lock also greatly increases the number of combinations possible as will be understood.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An article of manufacture, comprising a key for a lock having an outer member, an inner member rotatable therein and two sets of locking tumblers extending respectively in alignment longitudinally along and in spaced relation about the inner member, the key comprising an open cylindrical portion engageable over the outer end of the inner member and provided with forwardly facing lands for effecting the release of the tumblers in said spaced relation and a longer portion extending forwardly beyond and disposed axially of the cylindrical portion andprovided with laterally facing lands therealong for eil'ecting the release of the longitudinally arranged tumblers. y`

2. An article of manufacture comprising a key having two parts respectively adapted to release the two sets of locking tumblers in a lock having an outer member, an inner member rotatable therein and two sets of locking tumblers respectively extending in alignment longitudinally along and. in spaced relation about the inner member, one key part comprising a plug with a bore in its forward end adapting said end to engage over the/outer end of the inner member and provided with lands on the forward end outside of the bore for effecting the release of the tumblers in said spaced relation, a second key part disposed axially through the plug and having a finger gripping portion rearwardly of thel plug and a relatively long Yale key portion extending forwardly beyond the plug and provided with laterally facing lands in longitudinal alignment therealong for effecting the release of the radial tumblers, and means uniting the two parts into a unit.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a key for a lock havingI an outer member, an inner member rotatable therein and two'sets of locking tumblers respectively extending in lateral alignment longitudinally along and in spaced relation about the inner member, the key comprising a cylindrical part open at/its forward end and slotted diametrically through its rearI portion, the forward end being engageable over the outer end of the inner member and provided with forwardly facing lands for effecting the release of the tumblers in said spaced relation, a second key part disposed in the slot and having a finger gripping portion rearwardly of the cylindrical part and a relatively long Yale key portion exmding forwardly beyond the open end of the cylindrical part and provided with laterally facing lands in longitudinal alignment therealong for effecting the release of the radial tumblers, and means uniting the two parts into a unit.

GEORGE HOFMANN. 

